Pittsburgh man guilty in $1.9M magazine scam

Wednesday

Apr 30, 2014 at 10:11 AMApr 30, 2014 at 10:11 AM

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pittsburgh man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of running a $1.9 million scam in which 30,000 people were conned into buying magazine subscriptions that were supposed to benefit children’s hospitals, veterans’ support groups and other charities.

Forty-four-year-old Samuel Cole pleaded guilty Tuesday and will be sentenced Aug. 5. His co-defendant, 32-year-old Larhon Buchanan, previously pleaded guilty and will be sentenced June 10.

Federal prosecutors say the duo began the scam under the name New Image Consultants Inc. in 2007, then later changed the name of their firm as they switched its mailing address from Pittsburgh, to Seattle, to Dallas.

The defendants recruited door-to-door sellers and told them to pose as single mothers and ex-cons who were selling magazines to make a “fresh start” in life.